LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH
SERMON NOTES SUNDAY 12 NOVEMBER 2023
JUDGES 7 VERSES 15 – 22
Gideon the man of valour
was mighty in battle for the Lord and his people. He defeated the Midianites with a unique plan
of attack. It was so great an attack
that the Midianites are never again recorded in scripture as the enemy of the
Israelites. Gideon divided 300 men into
3 companies. Each was given a lamp or
torch covered with a clay vessel. Gideon
summoned them to war and marched them to the outskirts of the camp. When he gave the signal all the men broke
their clay pots so that the lamps burned and blinded the people. The shout was “the sword of the Lord and of
Gideon.” Battle cries are very
important. It demands action. Do we have such a battle cry today? They had to follow a plan, to sound their
trumpets, smash the torches and shout the battle cry. They had to then stand their ground and wait
for further instructions. There is a
plan to be followed and fulfilled if we are going to defeat the enemy Satan
today.
First we see the sounding
– verse 20 “and the three hundred blew the trumpets.” The sounding forth of the trumpets was very
effective. It woke the Midianites and
brought fear on them. It took great
courage to sound the cry. It was not for
timid lips. A declaration of war. It would not be an easy thing for the soldiers
to stand and blast the war cry. Those
who faithfully preach the gospel will find themselves in the same
position. They are declaring war on
Satan. War is certain. Sounding forth the trumpet is not easy. God would have them cry aloud so all would
hear. Isaiah 58 verse 1 “Cry aloud,
spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet and shew thy people their transgression
and the house of Jacob their sins.” May
God be blessed to raise up more men to freely sound forth the trumpet cry. Ulster needs men who will preach the full
counsel of God. I wonder have you heard
the sounding of the trumpet? Could it be
that I am speaking to someone? You have
heard the faithful preaching of God’s word, the sound of the trumpet. You have come face to face with sin, the
reality of eternity. Take heart if you
have heard. The battle is raging for your
precious soul. Don’t close your
ears. Listen to the trumpet.
The smashing –
verse 20 “and break the pitchers.” When
the time came to attack the Midianites the soldiers broke the pitchers and held
the lamps in their hands. One can
imagine the sound of the breaking of 300 vessels at once. There is always something upsetting about
the breaking of pottery and glass. It
had to be unnerving for the Midianites in the dead of the night. It reminds us of the necessity of brokenness
before an individual can be used by God.
They must be broken before God can work.
Can you look back to a time when you were broken before the
almighty? Has there been a time when you
came penitently with a brokenness of your sin?
If you have not come to the Saviour and committed your soul to him you
will be of no use to God. God cannot use
a life that is stubborn, self willed and unsubmissive. If you are going to used by God you must come
before him broken and allow him to mould you into what he wants you to be. To be broken before Christ means that you
would be of use to God. Galatians 2
verse 20 “I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ
liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of
the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.” Brokenness but there is also something else
about the smashing of these vessels. It
speaks of dedicated service. When the
soldiers took the vessels and smashed them that was it. It was final.
They couldn’t pick up the pieces and put them back together. The trumpets sounded, the vessels were
broken, the battle was on. There was no turning back. There have been many down through the years
who came to the Lord and have been broken before him. They repented of their sin, gave up all their
ambitions and followed the Lord but they turned back. They went so far in their Christian walk but
never burned their bridges behind them.
Could it be someone is here and you were bright for the Lord at one
time. You could look back at a time when
you were broken. You broke your pitcher
before God, repented of your sin, committed your life to the Lord but since
then you have turned your back on God.
God is looking for vessels that are irreversible and committed to
him. It is time to turn back to the
place you have left.
I have decided to follow
Jesus
I have decided to follow
Jesus
I have decided to follow
Jesus
No turning back, no
turning back
The shining. When the vessels were broken the torches
would really blaze out. A sudden
experience for the Midianites. They
would be surrounded by 300 lights. They
did not have to hide them any longer.
They could hold them up high. There
was nothing to hide. They could let them
shine before all men at that moment. They
would be seen for what they were and what they were doing. They broke the vessels and held them up. Their lights were shining before all
men. When thinking of the shining of the
light it reminds us of what the Lord said – “let your light so shine before all
men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in
heaven.” If you are truly saved your
life will shine forth as a living testimony to the grace of the Lord. It is not the words you speak but the life
you lead will tell of a life led for God.
Are you a shining light for God in this dark generation? There are plenty who say they are Christians
but their life says differently. The
light is not burning well. John the
Baptist was known as a burning and shining light – John 5 verse 35. May that be our testimony, burning and
shining lights for the Lord Jesus Christ.
The shouting. Gideon’s army cried out – verse 20 “the sword
of the Lord and of Gideon”. By shouting
forth these words they recognised the Lord was for them. Fighting together with God. They were working with the Lord of
hosts. This battle cry put the Lord in his
right place. It put the Lord first. Gideon and his men had their priorities
right. They did not say “the sword of
the Gideon and the Lord” no they said “the sword of the Lord and of Gideon.” They wanted all the people to know including
the Midianites that it was Jehovah who granted the victory. We may have faced many battles in this life
and we will face many more battles. What
is our battle cry? Who are we battling
for? Is our battle cry about self or
like Gideon do we have our priorities right?
Have we given the Lord first place in every area of our lives? Unsaved friend have you given the Lord first
place in your life? Putting the Saviour
first means winning great battles for him and eternity. When the Saviour ministered here on earth he
said “thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul
and with all thy mind.” If you do that
you will put him first.
The standing. At the beginning of verse 21 we read “and
they stood every man in his place around about the camp.” They were standing. The Midianites fled but Gideon’s army stood
firm. It did not change their ideas or change
after the Midianites fled. When they
broke the pitchers they stood firm.
Standing still in such extreme circumstances would have been a difficult
thing to do. They stood firm until they
were told otherwise. They were dedicated
and they were obedient. Running here and
there does not speak of dedication. Are
you standing firm today? Are you
standing on the principles of God’s word?
Are you seeking to live your life according to the holy scriptures? The best way an individual can express their
salvation in the Lord is by obeying his word and instructions. Gideon’s army proved they were obedient and
dedicated because they stood their ground.
Are you standing? If you disobey
the word and turn away from it you will not stand. You will fall and great will be your fall in eternity. What are you standing on? On Christ the solid rock and his everlasting
truth? What are you building your life
upon? The rock or the sand?
On Christ the solid rock I
stand
All other ground is
sinking sand
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